Korean Job Discussion Forums

[valium kilmer]

I've been offered a job in a Hagwon that want me to start on 3rd September - which suits me because I want to be at a friend's wedding on the first.

However, I'm waiting on a visa issuance number, and then will have to go to the Korean embassy in London to get the actual visa.

Does anyone know if it would be possible to fly in on a tourist visa and then change when in the country? Also, would I be able to fly in on a one way ticket with only a tourist visa?

Grateful for any help on this

[ttompatz]

[valium kilmer]

I didn't think that you could.

The only problem is that the wedding is next saturday, and in order to get the visa I need the visa issuance number - which i'm told could take up to a week, and then i'll need to apply, which could again take a few days - and there are only 6 working days between now and the wedding.

[ttompatz]

[valium kilmer]

Sorry if I didn't make this clear in the first post. The wedding is IN Korea.

[ttompatz]

Pray hard... and hope that things fall in place for you to get everything done in time to do both.

Flying on a tourist stamp without onward passage can be problematic and boarding is often denied by the airline.

Doing a visa run to Japan may be possible for you but the employer won't pay for your flight to Korea AND a visa run to Japan just to accommodate your wanting to attend a wedding (especially since, in Korea, the wedding ceremony is not the legal wedding).

.

[viciousdinosaur]

what Tom said.

[valium kilmer]

Thanks. This is almost certainly not going to happen now, despite paying a fortune for a guaranteed postal service (which didn't deliver).

Incheon have decided to hold my documents for the past three days, for god only knows what reason - a bunch of letters to an academy!

[Benjamino]

[valium kilmer]

You changed specifically from tourist to E2 - how did you do this?

There is an extra complication now that Korean customs have apparently held my documents - and I'm unable to even begin to find out why until tomorrow because of the bank holiday in Korea. The flight I was hoping to get is on Thursday, and I may arrive before my documents (if they arrive at all).

Think I've given up on the prospect in all honesty.

[YTMND]

I must be missing something. The OP is on a tourist visa in Korean now, waiting for an issuance number, and they want to attend a wedding in Korea?

Where is the problem? Even if you get the number today, can't you go back to London on the 2nd and apply get your visa sorted on the 3rd?

Please someone show where the problem lies.

[valium kilmer]

I'm in the UK at the moment. I'm sorting out a job that (in theory, without the delay of documents) was going to start on 3rd September, but may have to be delayed because I won't have the docs in time now.

The wedding is in Korea on 1st September.

[YTMND]

So, you have your passport still? If not, then the answer is simple, no wedding. If you have your passport, is it really possible to process the visa in 1 week? I thought they needed 2 weeks at least. When I was in Korea and switched jobs I had to give my passport to the new school and I know I didn't get it back a week later.

Perhaps you can meet them after the wedding.

[valium kilmer]

I still have my passport. My contract/apostilled docs are currently being 'held' at incheon. Until the school receives them, they can't proceed with getting a visa number issued (which I believe takes about a week) and until I have the visa number, I can't go to London and get a visa processed.

I realise I can meet my friends AFTER the wedding (?) but as my original contract was (is) due to start on 3rd September, I was hoping to arrive a couple of days earlier to make the ceremony.

If the job has to be postponed by a week, that's no problem - but my original post was to see if there would be a way to fly in on a tourist visa and then have that changed while in the country.

Obviously, I can't afford to fly in just for the wedding and then a week later to start the job.

[YTMND]